Employee Onboarding Plans: Crafting the First 30 Days For Success

The first 30 days are the make or break period. This is the time when a new employee either learns the ropes and starts jelling with the team or falters miserably.

As a manager, you have the power to control this. By creating a 30-day employee onboarding plan that outlines expectations, projects to tackle, and skills to be learned, you can give your newest team members the clarity and focus they need to be successful.

WHAT THE FIRST 30 DAYS IS ALL ABOUT

Don’t expect anything major to happen in the first month. Instead, this month is about laying the groundwork, giving employees the tools and fundamental training they need to reach a comfortable steady state.

While each role is unique, your new employees will likely benefit from the following:

Software or hardware tools training: Are there certain tools that will be paramount that they understand? Will they need to know advanced Excel functions, how to fully leverage a marketing automation platform, or maybe process payroll payments via an accounting tool? This is the time to get them started. Whether it’s one-on-one training, tutorials, or self-directed learning, make sure you allocate time for your new recruit to get up to speed.

Useful literature, books, or blogs: Are there certain books that explain what you do really well? Perhaps blogs that you read religiously to keep current? Put them on your hire’s to-do list. A little learning once a day will do wonders for their understanding of your category and what they’ll be accomplishing.

Training sessions with colleagues: Will your employee be working with cross-functional teams? Will she need to understand how other departments or job functions affect her role? If so, schedule time for her to meet with her future colleagues, understand what they do, and even understand their challenges. The best way to work with peers is to understand what drives them, and what hurdles they regularly face.

Early stage projects: Consider giving your newest recruit a fairly straightforward project to complete, or an easy everyday task. It could be pulling daily sales numbers, monitoring your brand’s mentions on social media, or triaging inbound messages from your Contact Us form. Having a steady-state project that they have a complete handle on will give them confidence to keep on trucking for the next months to come.

The first 30 days isn’t about you. It’s all about them. Giving them the building blocks they need to learn your business, your needs, and how they can make an impact. Create a deliberate structure and show your employees you are truly dedicated to their success.

Do you have unique ways you onboard your employees in their first few weeks on the job? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

This post was written by Laura Troyani

Laura Troyani is a former member of the TINYteam. She's now the Founder & Editor of PlanBeyond, a one-stop shop for getting your end-of-life planning in order. Whether you need to explore last wills, hospice care, or estate taxes, you can trust PlanBeyond to quickly and easily answer all your questions.